Personal Injury Lawyers Near Me
Suffering an injury at the hands of someone else is annoying at best and devastating at worst. This is a vulnerable time in your life, and you turn to an attorney to help you get the compensation you need to get back on your feet.
At Theodoros and Rooth, P.C., our personal injury lawyers near me law firm believes in client satisfaction, transparent communication, and teamwork in supporting our cases. Navigating the legal process can be overwhelming and challenging at a time when you just need things to slow down. Let us do the heavy lifting so you can focus on your recovery.
Theodoros and Rooth P.C., Your Guardians of Justice
When someone else hurts you, we believe you deserve justice. One of the many ways we build trust with our clients and the communities across Northwest Indiana is through the Theodoros & Rooth, P.C. pledge. These values include our commitment to treating clients and their families with the respect and compassion they deserve, including clear communication and diligent work to close your case with a favorable outcome as quickly as possible.
Our firm was established in 1988 with a team of Merrillville, IN, personal injury attorneys. We are committed to bettering Ross Township through community involvement and aggressive advocacy. We only take on the cases we believe in, and each one benefits from a whole-team approach consisting of over 100 years of combined experience.
Several organizations, including Best Lawyers and the News and World Report Best Law Firms list, have recognized our firm. We are not afraid of hard work and have built a reputation for working on high-profile cases.
We Handle Many Kinds of Personal Injury Cases
While most personal injury cases follow the same basic formula, they are often governed by different laws depending on whether the injuries result from a motor vehicle accident, abuse, or premises liability. These cases may require Valparaiso, IN, personal injury attorneys to have different types of legal experience and comfort navigating different kinds of insurance and liability policies. Our firm regularly handles and wins many types of personal injury cases:
- Car Accidents: Indiana car accidents happen every day. The most recent Indiana Crash Report shares that nearly 200,000 accidents happened in the covered reporting year, many of which are debilitating or fatal, leaving individuals severely injured or even with the loss of a loved one.
- Trucking Accidents: Our truck accident lawyers have first-hand experience driving commercial trucks, giving us a unique perspective and upper hand when we work your truck accident case. Commercial firms often have entire legal departments on their side, so you deserve to level the playing field with your own representation.
- Motorcycle Accidents: These accidents can be complicated to manage due to the higher value of the claims and more significant injuries. Motorcycle riders can be vulnerable to unfair blame from insurance companies to avoid liability, making it critical to obtain legal representation to look out for your interests.
- Medical Malpractice: Medical malpractice occurs when a provider causes your injuries by failing to follow the standard of care. This may be a surgical error, a missed diagnosis, or unnecessary surgery that presented risks you did not need to take.
- Wrongful Death: When someone else’s negligence causes the death of a loved one, it can feel like an insurmountable challenge. Recovering compensation after a loss will not fill the hole your loved one left, but we hope to help you secure the resources you need to grieve in the way that works for you and your family.
- Catastrophic Injury: Catastrophic injuries can result from any type of accident. However, they are permanent and complex, requiring a deep understanding to build a case for appropriate compensation. These include amputations, loss of a sense, or traumatic brain injuries, among others.
- Product Liability: State and federal regulations exist to protect the public from dangerous or defective products. When a creator or manufacturer knowingly distributes dangerous or defective products or misrepresents the use of their products, they may be held accountable for resulting injuries.
- Construction Accidents: Construction accidents can have devastating and life-altering consequences. Construction companies must ensure their sites are relatively safe for workers and bystanders, and failure to do so can leave them responsible for your injuries if their negligence injures you.
- Nursing Home Abuse: We want to think that our loved ones are safe while in the care of a nursing home, and this is true most of the time. However, if your loved one has suffered abuse or neglect in their facility, sometimes an attorney is the only way to make sure you get justice and the compensation necessary to recover from the harm done.
- Premises Liability: When you are injured on the premises of a Lake County or Porter County property, the owner or manager may be responsible for covering the cost of your injuries. Whether the injuries came from a slip and fall, a damaged elevator or escalator, or an assault in a bar with negligent security, an attorney may be able to help.
- Wrongful Death: If you have lost a loved one due to someone else’s negligence, the decedent’s personal representative is eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of your loved one. According to 34-23-1, the payout may be awarded to immediate family or dependents.
We know that the last thing you want is a long and drawn-out lawsuit, so we diligently work the cases we take, prioritizing clear and timely communication and a resolution resulting in a fair and appropriate settlement offer. However, this does not mean we are afraid to take your case to court if that’s what you need.
Knowing When It is Time to Call a Lawyer Near You
In the immediate aftermath of an injury, you may be uncertain whether you want to involve a lawyer. While you are within your rights to do so, you should not try to negotiate with an insurance company alone. Insurance adjusters have a single priority: to minimize payouts, and commercial truck accident adjusters can be a particularly steep uphill battle.
Some cases may be simple enough, and you walk away with compensation that satisfies you, but oftentimes, they will work to diminish your injuries and use your words against you to decrease the value of your claim. Working with a personal injury lawyer can guide you and help you avoid some of these pitfalls that can destroy your case.
Contacting an attorney immediately after an accident or injury caused by someone else’s negligence does not hurt. However, if you feel that you are not being treated fairly or the responsible party denies all liability, it is probably time to contact a personal injury attorney in Merrillville, IN, if you have not already.
Time Limits to File a Personal Injury Claim
While you may not need to sign exactly when the accident happens, there are significant time constraints if you want to file a personal injury lawsuit. The statute of Limitations for personal injury is two years, according to Indiana Code 34-11-2-4.
Two years may sound like more than enough time, but it can go by quickly when our attorney is investigating your case and negotiating with the insurance company. If you wait to contact an attorney, you may find yourself rushed to accept a settlement or take the case to court as you reach the end of the statute of limitations.
Personal Injury Liability and Modified Comparative Negligence in Indiana
Liability in personal injury cases can be tricky to establish sometimes. Due to Indiana’s modified comparative negligence laws, it is critical to identify all responsible parties to ensure you recover the full amount of damages and avoid taking unnecessary blame yourself.
If the other party is trying to assign blame, this may pose an issue that requires the support of a lawyer. Indiana abides by modified comparative negligence laws established in Indiana Code 34-51-2 which allows your compensation to be reduced by the percentage of fault apportioned to you as long as you hold less than 51% of the total liability.
The specific liable parties will vary depending on the situation. However, in most situations, multiple parties may be responsible. For example, a product liability lawsuit may find that a manufacturer and distributor are responsible for knowingly creating and distributing defective products.
A driver and the city may be responsible for an accident if a driver causes an accident because they lost control of their vehicle due to speeding on roads in disrepair. Identifying the possible parties can require an in-depth understanding of personal injury and how liability may be apportioned to various parties.
Compensation Available in an Indiana Personal Injury Case
Pursuing justice and accountability for those who carelessly injure others is a motivating reason for a lawsuit. However, recovering monetary compensation is often a necessity when you are facing lengthy recovery times, leaving you with medical bills and lost pay from missing work. What you request for damages is determined by the details of your case, but may include:
- Medical bills
- Prescription costs
- Travel expenses to and from medical appointments
- Lost wages
- Residential modifications for disability
- Loss of companionship or consortium
- Pain and Suffering
Much of what you claim for compensation is based on the actual cost of your losses. Your attorney can help you calculate this amount from invoices, receipts, and quotes. Non-economic damages, or those without a clear price tag, are often calculated using a multiplier that typically ranges from one to five based on the severity of the injuries.
How Much is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
Before pursuing legal action, you likely want to know how much your case is worth. The truth is, this is difficult to determine without thoroughly investigating the situation. While we cannot give you a number without taking a closer look, you may gain a more general idea by considering your upfront costs and whether your injuries will significantly affect your life.
How Long Will It Take to Resolve an Indiana Personal Injury Case?
The length of time a case takes to resolve heavily depends on several factors, including the strength of your case, the severity of your injuries, and the overall value of damages you request. Insurance companies are more likely to push back on higher value settlements in an attempt to decrease payouts.
You may also face lengthy negotiation times when the insurance company thinks it can discredit or devalue your injuries.
Will My Case Settle Out of Court?
There is no way to determine whether your case will go to court or settle outside of it. However, the likelihood of settling is often affected by the strength of your case and the value of your damages. The unpredictability of the court is often a strong incentive to settle. However, if the insurance company or other party is confident they will win a trial, they are far more likely to hold out, risking the case going to court.
How Much Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me Cost?
The cost of a lawyer is a common concern for those already facing the growing pile of medical bills. This does not have to stop you from getting your own legal advocate. The Theodoros and Rooth P.C. team of attorneys operates on contingency, meaning we will not send a bill until we recover your compensation.
The amount you pay is typically a percentage of what we recover and agreed upon before we begin working together. This keeps you from worrying about hourly fees that keep building with the risk of gaining nothing.
Call a Porter County Personal Injury Lawyer Near You
Recovering from injuries can be grueling, leaving you unsure of what to do next. Theodoros and Rooth P.C. will work diligently to resolve your case promptly and recover the compensation you deserve. We offer free case consultations to discuss your situation and help you determine the next steps.
You do not have to do this alone. We are available for calls and messages 24/7, and our Valparaiso, IN, personal injury lawyer is prepared to help you take on the responsible party and hold them accountable. So, call us today.